Syria Media Roundup

Inside Syria

Al Jazeera: ‘Economic Blockade’: Syrian city punished for anti-govt protests (21 April 2022)

Recent protests in Sweida following the government’s decision to stop subsidies for bread, diesel, cooking gas, and petrol, among other essential products, are emblematic of a growing frustration towards regime corruption and dire living conditions.

Al Monitor: Journalists Flee Northwest Syria as Intimidation Ramps Up (18 April 2022)

Many journalists are fleeing the northwest due to threats from opposition factions loyal to Turkey.

Al Jazeera: Families Fearful as UN Reduces Food Aid to Northwest Syria (15 April 2022)

Due to funding constraints and increases in food prices driven by the war in Ukraine, the World Food Programme (WFP) announced that it will be reducing food assistance to northwestern Syria next month.

Al Monitor: Syria’s Bread Basket Lies Empty (11 April 2022)

Deir ez Zor, once considered the breadbasket of Syria, now faces severe bread and water shortages, with water cuts lasting as long as four days.

The Guardian: Syria $1.5bn Seizure of Protesters’ Property ‘akin to Scare Tactic’ (8 April 2022)

The Syrian government has seized over $1.5bn worth of personal property including cars, olive groves, shops, and jewelry from citizens accused of participating in anti-government protests. Many believe that the regime seeks to evade sanctions through the revenue gained from the seizures.

Al Monitor: Price Hikes Make Life Harder in Idlib (8 April 2022)

Price increases in rebel-held areas ahead of Ramadan led citizens to blame Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) for failing to help as families struggle.

Al Jazeera: Traying to Survive: Syrian fuel smugglers defy deadly crackdown (5 April 2022)

An increasing number of Syrians are pushed into fuel smuggling to support their families amid an HTS crackdown on the illegal trade.

Al Jazeera: In Syria, Russia Leads Effort to Recruit Fighters for Ukraine (1 April 2022)

Reports indicate that Russia is recruiting Syrian fighters to fight in Ukraine through its mercenary networks and local groups.

The New Arab: 100 Children Still Missing after Two Months Following Syria Jail Attacked by IS:UN (1 April 2022)

Two months following the January 2022 IS prison attack, the fate of an estimated 100 children who were previously detained in the prison remains unknown. 

Al Monitor: Syrians Resort to Herbal Medicine Amid Drug Crisis (30 March 2022)

With the economic crisis worsening, many Syrians are forced to resort to herbal medicines for their medical needs.

Al Jazeera: Clashes Between ISIL and Kurds Kill Four in Syrian Camp (29 March 2022)

Fighting between the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and IS cells left three people, including one child, killed in al Hol camp in northeastern Syria.

Regional and International Perspective

The New Arab: “Germany Court Charges Suspect in 2014 Syria Killings with War Crimes  (14 April 2022)

The suspect, Moafak D. was charged in a regional court in Berlin on seven counts of murder, three of attempted murder, and three of bodily harm. The man charged allegedly threw a grenade into a crowd of civilians waiting for food in Damascus in 2014.

The New Arab: After Damning Remarks on Ukraine Atrocities, Biden Urged to Recognise ‘Syria Genocide’ (14 April 2022)

Following Biden’s remarks in which he accused President Putin of committing genocide in Ukraine, activists are calling on Biden to use the term to describe the Syrian regime and Russian military’s indiscriminate targeting of civilians in Syria.

Al Monitor: Possible Closure of Turkey-Syria Crossing Alarms Aid Groups (13 April 2022)

The Syrian Response Coordination Group, a non-governmental organization assisting the displaced in northwestern Syria, warns that the closure of the Turkish border crossing with Syria will block lifesaving humanitarian aid from reaching those in need.

Syria Direct: Syrian Refugees in Libyan Prisons: hostages for ransom (12 April 2022)

The Government of National Unity established in Libya in 2021 is holding hundreds of Syrians who attempted to reach Europe via Libyan waters without trials or any indication of the length of their detention period. Their detention is made possible by the Memorandum of Understanding Libya signed with Italy in 2017 which provides Libyan Coast Guard support in stopping migrant boats headed towards Italy.

The New Arab: White Helmets Film Tutorial to aid Ukraine’s First Responders (10 April 2022)

A video filmed by the White Helmets for Ukrainian first aid responders provide advice for treating causalities.

Al Jazeera: A Life of Isolation for Syrian Refugees in Jordan’s Azraq Camp (29 March 2022)

Refugees at Azraq camp in Jordan remain highly isolated and dependent on donors’ generosity for their livelihoods.

Reports

World Vision: Women and Children of Syria’s Widow Camps: hardest to reach, most at risk (11 April 2022)

A World Vision report highlights the vulnerability of inhabitants of “Widow camps” in northwest Syria, home to tens of thousands of widows and single women and their children, who face the risk of violence, including neglect, verbal, physical, and sexual abuse, in addition to child marriages and forced child labor.

International Rescue Committee (IRC): 11 Years of Violence Against Healthcare in Syria (1 April 2022)

IRC reflects on the 11 years of indiscriminate attacks against Syrian healthcare workers, health facilities, and patients and highlights the challenges the sector faces amidst the economic crisis and COVID-19 pandemic. The report indicates that Syria accounts for 25 percent of all recorded killings of healthcare workers in conflict areas over the past five years.

The Middle East Institute (MEI): Syria’s Education Crisis: a sustainable approach after 11 years of conflict (31 March 2022)

Entering the 11^th year of conflict, over 2.4 million children are out of school. MEI discusses the immediate and long-term consequences of Syria’s education crisis and the role of donors and governments in pushing for more sustainable and higher quality education. 

MEI: Reimagining Syria: rebuild the north now (21 March 2022)

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could alter discussions about Syria and its future by making “conducting business as usual with Russia in Syria extremely problematic.”

World Health Organization (WHO): Crisis in Syria: 11 years on, health needs still urgent (March 2022)

A WHO infographic captures health needs across Syria, highlighting that 12.2 million people are in need of health assistance.